Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Racy, lively and vibrant, with green citrus, buttered lemon and orange blossom, the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon Of Santa Barbara (equal parts Grassini Family and Vogelzang vineyards) is medium-bodied, fresh and lively, with both fruit and texture. It will drink nicely for a year or more.
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Wine Spectator
Stylish and rich, offering succulent, ripe flavors of melon, pear and honeysuckle, with spicy accents and a juicy finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
There's a touch of reductive petrol on the nose of this wine, which is a 50-50 blend between Vogelzang and Grassini vineyards. It also offers lime zest, golden pear flesh and barely ripe peach. A cut-grass element shows on the palate as well as sour lime and Bosc pear peels.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
On the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley, the rolling hills of the tiny Happy Canyon AVA produce top quality reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and whites from Sauvignon blanc. The region’s low-nutrient soil grows smaller vines and in turn, higher quality wine grapes.